Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-04-30
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The rat is the most rascally :" all ro-
dents. lie is the ravaging, devastating
wild beast that infeStS the hauntS Of civil-
Zation. and the only one of his race that
does il. He must roam about and deyour-
thai we admit IL is in accordance with
his nature. The criticism We make against
him is that he does not roam about, and
ravage. and deyour. in the right place.
WHY does he not take to the woods and
run his chances with other wild beasts
Surely rats-with their persistence and
sharp solidly-set teeth, need not fear To
compete with the habitantS Of the forest
and field. The two-legged fellow creatures
of this treSpassing rodent, who have dug
cellars and built houses over them. feel
that they have the first and only right of
occupation, and they have declared war
against rats. Further than this, they have
made the very name synonym OF re-
proach. And We propose Ia carry the war
still farther into Africa, by critIciSing
and denOuncIng rats in our columns, mod
estly but We feel yainly. hoping that this
will be- the feather that will break the
! scoundrelS' scabby backs
If the rat would only follow the good
example of the honest but much-abuse,
little English sparrow (who never falls 10
the ground. whether from club or shot.
without our Heavenly Fathers notice., and
perform public service as scavenger. he
would he hailed as public benefartor.
There is plenty of stuff about the premises
of people and on the public streets that is
quite good enough for a rat 10 eat, and
which he might eat in the public service,
and there is therefore neither a
| good excuse nor fair preteNt
| for him 10 90 into our cellars and pantrieS
or even into our barns-and help himself
10 the best our money can buy. For your
rat, fellow-sufferers, is no chump. no vul-
gar wretch that does not know one dish
| from another: he has a refined taste; he
| has palate for flavor; he has keen eye
! for the beautiful As well as relish tor sue
culence. and he goes for the daintiest of all
the fruits Of the field and the choicest pro
/ uhCiS VI Tue >hlll Vi llit tilti. iHtN II
why We loathe and abhor the rat. He
| wants Just what We want-and he often
gets it, as We do not. lie puts On airs that
do not belong to him. He is robber and
fraud As well a. Il thief. Therefore We
>ay-sh00t the rat
| Ii this were all We might dry our tears,
and We should, for We are painfully aware
that both argument and persuation are
wasted on the four-legeed rat. But there
are rats on swo legs that infest community.
They are people who persist in overstep-
ping proper bounds, and in interfering with
the plain rights of Others. They are not
satisfied with pursuing their own proper
occupations: in working their own avenues
and fields of operation, however profitable
they may prove 10 be, bat pei siSt in reach
ing out into other mems fields and on Ia
their premises and robbing them Of what
they have rightfully earned. and
are honestly using 10 their own and the
public advantage. These human rats are
trespassers as well As robbers and thieves.
Ii is not seldom the fact that millonaires
show themselves rats, in this way. and
prove themselves Ia be most offensive and
loathsome human beasts. For their con
duct is gratuitOus and wanton-as needless
a il is mean, and il always fails of lis pur-
pose of promoting the human rats personal
ends because il piliories the rat In the eyes
ot the public as an intruder. a meddler and
a ruthless ravager in other mems domains,
and in this way invites the great wave of
honest sensible and fair public opinion to
surge in upon it and sweep il away. 1t is a
singular mathematical and moral fact
that rat with two legs is twice
as mean and despicable as one
with four. For the two legged
rat has human mind and an immortal
soul. and. with the advantages with which
civilization surrounds him. ought to be able
10 discriminate, and to reason, and I" re-
Spect rights and privileges which are earned
and established. and therefore recognized
by public sentiment. The fOur-legged raj
is not endowed with a conscience or senSt
of right: he therefore takes what he car
reach with no cOmpunctions, and We do moi
really condemn him-we only kill him,
when we can. These few lines teach thai
4 rat has right TO be rodent bu,
that q man has no right 10 be rat
and that when lie does so bemean
treated as a ratio be pursued and punished
and in the manner which will most effec.
, lively administer chastiSement, 81 tha;
il shall have lis proper result and shall
prove exemplary. Rats who pursue ti'eiI
nefarious work in SD skillful a manner as 70
avoid the trap. or the protective provisions
of statutes. should not comfort themselves
with the false hope that they will escape
Justice Public sentiment is the greatest Of
all forces in free country and its mandate
needs the offices of no sheriff or constable.
Public sentiment pillorieS the rat and then
shoots him. And those who suffer from
the ravageS of the rat have the power of
srlf-protection and Standardization, and
they will use it. from time to time. As occa-
sion renders il necessary or desirable.
Smart Matthew Arnold. the son of grand
old Dr. Arnold. of Rugby. has been criti-
cising Gen. Grants English. and now Mark
Twain has given this paragraph Ia
Matthews I'M English English:
| Lately great and honured author.
Matthew Arnold. has been finding fault with
, 80 ElA, "A -,
enough. may be, if the examples Of imper-
! feet English averaged more instances 10
the page in Gen. Grants book than they do
! in Mr. Nrpold'S criticism upnn The book